This is an important book for kids when they are feeling as though they are being crushed beneath a big blue heavy elephant. The book highlights how to deal and manage heavy feelings that they are experiencing.

A deep sense of sadness envelops a little child who tries hard to expel it alone but is unable to make it go away.

Mom and Dad are worried and encourage the child to cheer up a bit and smile at it. That does not work. Mom takes every book on elephants out of the library and starts reading. Dad calls an elephant specialist that someone recommends. There is no luck in dispelling the blue beast. Other ideas are pursued: perhaps chocolate? a walk? a picnic in the park? Something must enable that HUGE blue elephant to go away.

"My Elephant is Blue" is a very helpful exploration in finding how to recognize and manage living under the weight of sadness for a young child.

A reading guide with discussion questions based on the book, activities to help children explore its themes, and a list of resources for more information will be available April 2023 at flyawaybooks.com/resources.


The book is written so young children are able to better understand their feelings and anxieties. It is a wonderful way to open up meaningful conversations between a parent and child and the sadness that is overwhelming them. I highly recommend this book.

Finding good books to read when talking to kids about their big feelings can be hard. Especially when talking about hard feelings such as sadness or bouts of depression. My Elephant is Blue hit the nail on the head with the fun yet subtle way to help kids to “sit” with their feelings and feel them instead of stuffing them down. I absolutely loved it and so did my children.

This a book about being sad and finding ways to not being sad while understanding that its ok to be sad sometimes.

Do you ever wake up feeling heavy feelings that you feel like you have a elephant sitting on you. A blue elephant. A creative way to talk about those heavy feelings with your child. One important thing about feelings is being able to name those feelings and how they make you feel. Being able to express those, you don't feel alone.

Both parents and child will experience a freedom in reading this well thought out book. Highly recommend.

A special thank you to Flyaway Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

I wish I had a book like this when I was younger. It puts a kid’s perspective on depression. This is well written and the illustrations were kid friendly. Overall, a great read for kids and parents alike!

This was such a relevant and important book especially in the post Covid era.

It’s a kid friendly way to address anxiety and depression.

It was so well worded and illustrated. A great way to open conversation between a parent and child about feelings.

5⭐️

A sweet story and first introduction to anxiety/emotions. A great opportunity to have a discussion with kids about what they think blue, pink, and yellow represent,

I really like the illustrations. They were in a watercolor style with great detail.

I'd recommend this to kindergarten age or older.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.littlest.bookworm and retail sites close or at the time of publication.

This book would be a fantastic introduction to talking to a child about anxiety or other hard to discuss feelings. The way the family supported the child and Blue was sweet- all small steps into feeling better. The fact that Blue can change colors based on her mood at the end was a wonderful detail, and made for a fun discussion as to what we thought pink meant and what yellow meant.

This book is beautifully written to explain "big feelings" to younger children. "My elephant is blue" follows the story of a child that wakes up with a blue elephant. Him and his loved ones try to find ways to make the elephant go away. But through acceptance and finding new ways to exist with the blue elephant it begins to change... to pink! And the elephant changes other colors as well- their favorite is yellow! Sometimes the elephant is blue again, but now they know what to do so it doesn't stay that way. This book has breathtaking art and uses colors to further the feelings of an otherwise heavy topic. I would recommend it for ages 5+.